In Lima, Peru, Lori Berenson, a former graduate student at MIT and long-time activist, is six weeks into her secondtrial on charges that she collaborated with the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement (MRTA), a Peruvian guerrillagroup.

When the trial of Lori Berenson began almost a month ago in Peru, she was inthe courtroom behind bars. That set the stage for the trial in which she wasquestioned on the stand for more than 20 hours over 9 days. Now the court isquestioning the man who is seeking a lower sentence by testifying against her.

On Dec. 1, 1995, Rhoda Berenson received a call from the Peru desk at the State Department, informing her that her26-year-old daughter, Lori, had been arrested in Lima. Six weeks later a hooded, anonymous judge found Lori guilty oftreason and sentenced her to life in prison. Though the military conviction was overturned in August, Lori Berensonis still in prison, awaiting a civilian trial on charges of terrorism that could lead to a 20-year...

In August, after Lori Berenson spent five hellish years in Peruvian prisons, the country’s top military court granted her a civilian court trial. But her hopes for release may be threatened by recent upheavals in Peru. Last month after evidence of corruption became irrefutable, President Fujimori and his shadowy intelligence head, Vladimiro Montesinos, fled the country. Montesinos was spotted yesterday in Venezuela, where he was said to...

Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori is expected to submit his resignation today from the plush Tokyo hotel where he is holed up far from a corruption storm, but opposition leaders said they are preparing moves to oust him on grounds of moral unfitness.

Today in Lima, Peru, the process of interrogation of witnesses began in the civilian trial of Lori Berenson, the American who was serving a life sentence in Peru on charges of "treason to the fatherland." Last week, a military tribunal voided her sentence, saying they will now send her case to a civilian court. [includes rush transcript]

The Peruvian government has nullified Lori Berenson’s life sentence. Berenson is the New York activist who was convicted of "treason against the Fatherland" by a hooded military judge in 1996. The Peruvian regime claimed she was helping the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement plan an assault on the Peruvian Congress. The 30-year-old Berenson has consistently denied these charges. Top officials have admitted that Lori was never a...

Peru’s top military court yesterday granted a civilian retrial to Lori Berenson, the New York activist who has spent more than 5 years in a Peruvian prison. She is serving a life sentence after being convicted of "treason against the Fatherland" by a hooded military judge in 1996. The Peruvian regime claims she was helping the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement plan an assault on the Peruvian Congress. Berenson has consistently...

Today marks four years since a hooded Peruvian military tribunal sentenced American Lori Berenson to life in prison. Accused of treason, Berenson was convicted on evidence she was not allowed to see. Amnesty International has declared her a political prisoner, saying she was denied a fair trial and due process. The United Nations Commission for Human Rights has also written that Lori Berenson is being arbitrarily detained and deprived of her...

Last week, Democracy Now! was part of a delegation that managed to enter the Socabaya Prison in Peru. There they were able to speak with American prisoner Lori Berenson, who is serving a life for "treason to the fatherland," and for being one of the leaders of the "Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement." To date, Berenson has not been allowed to see the evidence that was used to convict her.